Wire-working tool.



PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

' A. M. MQLERAN.

WIRE WORKING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

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WIRE WORKING TOOL. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

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NITED STATES Patented. December 13, 1904.

ALVORD M. MGLERAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WIRE-"WORKING TOOL- SPECIFIOATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,350, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed November 27, 1903. Serial No. 182,708- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVORD M. MoLnRAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wdre-iVorking Tools, of which the following is a specification.

'lhisinvention relates to wire-working tools of that type designed particularly for use in connection with wire-fence building, repairing, or dismantling; and my object is to produce an efficient tool by which the wire can be cut, spliced, tensioned, or wrapped around a post and by which staples can be made,

driven into a post, or pulled from a post.

A further object is to produce a tool possessing the advantages enumerated which is of simple, strong, durable, and cheap construction.

WVith these and other objects in View, as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in whicl Figure 1 represents a face view of the tool. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the tool. Fig. 4, is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the tool partially opened and sectioned on the line IV IV of Fig. 2, said figure showing the curved flanged jaws in elevation. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line V V of Fig. 1 with the springs'shown in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the springs. Fig. 7 is a view showing the uppermost end of one of the wood handles. Fig. 8 is a detail view of a portion of one member of the tool equipped with a hardened-steel cutting-blade instead of having the cutting edge of said member specially tempered. for cutting purposes.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a pair of steel plates of configuration determined by suitable blanking and forming dies are formed with circular body portions 1, fitting fiatly together and provided centrally with registering holes 2. Back plate 1 is provided peripherally and forward of the center of said holes with a jaw 3, projecting at right angles to its face and at its diametrically opposite edge with a similar jaw 3, the bottom edge of the first-named jaw and the upper edge of the other jaw being flat and substantially parallel with the axis of said holes, and said jaws because they project from the back plate or member peripherally embrace the face plate or member 1, the last-named memher being provided likewise with similar jaws 4, one to the right and upward of said holes and the other diametrically opposite and below said center, the arrangement being such that the jaws 3 4 are adapted to clamp between thcm a wire or other object, as hereinafter explained.

Each member is provided at its front end with an extension of angular form in crosssection, said extension comprising fiat portions 5, disposed in the same plane because united to their respective portions 1 by being oppositely bent at their junction with said portions, as at 6, and curved flanges 7, projecting like jaws 3 and 4: beyond the face of the plate, said flanges being struck from a center above the center of plates or members 1 and of slightly greater radius than the latter, by preference the opposing edges of said angular extensions or flanged jaws, as they are hereinafter termed, being concaved, as at 8, in order to provide points for thejaws, which will permit them to properly engage a staple or nail for the purpose of witlnlrawing the same from a post or other object in which it is embedded, these jaws performing also all of the other functions of a pair of pliers.

The members 1 are recessed, as at 8, so as to provide openings through which the wire or other device to be cut may be projected, opposing edges of said recesses being straight, so as to form cutting-jaws 9, which have a shearing relation to each other.

The outer or lower end of the portion 6 uniting the face plate or member 1 to its front jaw is cut away, so as to provide a slot 10, in which the contiguous jaw 3 of the back plate or member is free to operate. Each member at a point diametrically opposite to its flanged jaw 7 is provided with a Hat shank, consisting of the portion ll and the wider portion 12, the wide portions 12 being bent in opposite directions, as at 13, where they connect with the members in order that practically the entire portion of said shanks shall occupy the same plane as the flat portions of the flanged jaws. By narrowing the rear portion of the shanks outer and inner shoulders 1 1 and 15 are produced for a purpose which hereinafter appears, the inner shoulders being of greater width than the outer ones, so that their inner edges shall form jaws 16, between which a wire or other object can be clamped for stretching or other purposes.

The face plate or member is provided above and below its central opening with segmental slots 17 in which are riveted the stems 18 of a pair of flat springs 19, the spring above having its ends pressing upward against the upper jaws 3 4L and having its ends outward of said jaws curved upwardly, as at 20, for a purpose which hereinafter appears. The other spring has its ends bearing downwardly against the rear jaws 3 1, and outward of said jaws has its ends curving downwardly, as at 20, the arrangement of the springs being such that each exerts a pressure on the engaged jaws sufficient to hold the various jaws wide open, the tool being shown as partially open in Fig. 4.

Wood handles 21 of diameter equal to the width of portions 11 of the shanks of the members are bifurcated at their upper ends, as at 22, so as to fit snugly on said shanks, said bifurcations being laterally widened at their uppermost ends, as at 23, so as to accommodate the bent portions 13 of the shanks and slightly lap the bottom portions of members 1, as will be readily understood, rivets 24 being utilized to secure the front ends of said handles in position.

A circular plate 25 fits flatly against the back plate or member 1 and is riveted thereto, as

at 26, and is provided with a central opening 27 of the same diameter as and registering with opening 2 of said member. A plate 28 of the same form as plate 25 fits upon the face plate or member and is provided with a cen tral opening 29 of the same diameter as and registering with the central opening of said member. Plate 28 is furthermore provided with segmental slots 30, registering with slots 17, stems 18 of the springs extending through said slots 30, with the back edges of the body of the springs resting upon said plate 28. A cylindrical nut 31 fits in the registering openings 2, 27 and 29 and forms the pivot upon which the members and parts secured thereto operate, the head 32 of said nut being rounded, as shown, for a purpose hereinafter explained, and provided with holes 33 to receive the ends of a suitable wrench or tool for turning purposes.

- 34 designates a bolt to engage said nut, havspring-stems constitute a rivet connection be-.

tween the face-plate and plate 28, which compels said parts to move together as though integrally formed.

Plates 25 and 28 are provided at opposite sides-of the longitudinal centerof the tool with downwardly projecting stem portions 37, which stem portions are for nearly their full length segmental in cross-section, as at 38, so as to snugly embrace and form a sheath for the half of the contiguous handle 21, the upper part of the stem portion 38 being widened, as at 39, so as to fit against the shoulders 14 15 of shanks 11.

4O designates sheath-plates of precisely the same form as sheath-plates 38, except that their flat portions 41, fitting against the members, are concaved at their upper edges, as at 4:2, and fit against plates or washers 25 28, instead of being integrally formed with said plates or washers, Fig. 1. One of these sheathplates 40 snugly embraces the opposite side of each handle, and like sheath-plates 38 are laterally enlarged to provide portions 43 to bear against the opposite sides of shoulders 14 15 from said sheath-plates 38, the rivets 2 1,herein before referred to, extending through sheathplates 38 and 40 to secure them reliably in position. As a result the forward ends of the handles for approximately an inch in length are completely sheathed in metal, so as to eliminate any possibility of breakage at such ends. The opposite ends of the sheath-plates 38 and 4:0, embracing each handle, are furthermore secured to said handle and shanks 11 by rivets 33. The handles are thus stiffened, strengthened, and protected for a distance of several inches from their upper ends and the plurality of rivets in each handle insures rigidity of connection with the sheath-plates.

In the construction in Fig. 8 a small cuttingblade 44 is shown as secured in a dovetail recess 45 in each plate or member 1 and as projecting slightly forward beyond the shearing edge 9 thereof. These blades can be forced into place and will maintain such position without being riveted or otherwise secured, as each cutting operation tends to force them more tightly into the grooves.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a wire-working tool embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and which is obviously susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the principle of construction involved.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wire-working tool, comprising a pair of plates or members pivoted together and provided with handles, and also provided with opposing jaws, a pair of springs secured to one of said members and having their ends interposed between said opposing jaws and applying endwise pressure thereon, and having their ends outward of said jaws bent apart or in opposite directions.

2. A wire-working tool, comprising a back plate or member and a face plate or member fitting flatly together and provided with registering centrally-disposed holes and with opposing jaws and cutting edges, a plate or washer secured to the back plate or member and provided with a central opening, a plate or washer secured to the face plate or member and provided with a similar opening, springs movable with said face plate or member and the plate or washer secured thereto, a pivot extending through said registering openings and securing the plates or washers and plates or members together, and a pair of jaws secured to each plate or member and normally pressed apart by said springs.

3. A wire-working tool, comprising a back plate or member and a face plate or member fitting flatly together and provided with registering centrally-disposed holes and with opposing jaws and cutting edges, a plate or washer secured to the back plate or member and provided with a central opening, a plate or washer secured to the face plate or member &

and provided with a similar opening, springs movable with said face plate or member and the plate or washer secured thereto, a cylindrical nut extending through said openings with its head bearing against the back plate or washer, and a bolt screwed into the nut and having its head bearing against the face plate or washer.

4:. A wire-working tool comprising a back plate and a face-plate pivoted together and provided with handles and also with jaws disposed substantially at right angles to said handles and projecting from the plates and beyond the face of the face-plate and in the same direction as the pivot of said plates,and springs interposed between the jaws of said plates and imposing endwise pressure thereon to force them apart.

5. A wire-working tool comprising a back plate and a face-plate pivoted together and provided with handles and also each provided with a pair of jaws at diametrically opposite sides of the pivot, the jaws of one plate op posing those of the other and all projecting beyond the face and in the same direction as the pivot, and springs interposed between the jaws of the plates to press the former apart and having their ends outward of said jaws bent apart or in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVORD M. MOLERAN.

Witnesses H. Ronenns, G. Y. THORPE. 

